Butterflies and hirundines
Continued warm weather as meant that butterflies that are active at this time of year are having a very much improved year than the last one! Highlights have been Clouded yellows, 1 Adonis blue (male), Speckled woods, Meadow brown, Small tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red admiral, Common blue and 1 Small heath. Dragonflies have been more obvious with Migrant hawker, Southern hawker, Brown hawker and Common darters with some blue tailed damselflies still emerging!
Migrating birds leaving the UK have included Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Green Sandpiper, Spotted flycatcher, Reed and Sedge Warbler, Swallow, House martin and Sand martin. The latter have been checking out the playing calls at the sand martin hide as they migrate back to Africa.
Winter arrivals have been increasing with Teal and Shoveler being the more obvious wildfowl to be seen.
Kingfishers have been seen for several weeks on a daily basis around most of the waterways and bodies.
